The Bonds We Share
by Safaia Bara
Summary: A collection of one-shots and arcs about Ash's relationships with his Pokemon. Chapter 1: Charizard's loyalty to Ash resurfaces just in time.


Okay, I've been working on this story for over a year, and I'm finally ready to post it. This is my first try at a fic in the Pokemon fandom, so I'm really excited about it. I'm one of those people who grew up with the franchise (I actually turned ten when it was first created, so, technically, I could have been a trainer the same time Ash started his journey!), so I'm going to try and stay as close to the original series as possible. And, to be clear, this _**first**_ "episode" takes place in season two, in between "Pokemon Double Trouble" and "Hello Pummelo".

Yes, this is going to be a series of one-shots and arcs, each chapter(s) based on Ash's relationship with one or more of his Pokemon. I'll be posting the name of the Pokemon under the title of the chapter. (For example, you'll see that this one revolves around **Ash and Charizard** )

I also want to send out a _**HUGE**_ thank you to _**Younger P**_ for his _invaluable_ help as I wrote this. You are incredible as a writer and a beta- I bow down to you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. The characters and story are the property of Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, Creatures, Inc., and Game Freak.

* * *

Retribution

 **Pokemon:** _ **Charizard**_

The door to the Pokemon Center slid open with a creak as lightening flashed across the sky.

"Whoa, that storm just came out of nowhere," Ash groaned, shielding himself from Pikachu as it shook itself dry.

Misty rung out her hair, "I feel like a drowned Ratata."

"You look like one, too," Ash sniggered. Pikachu sighed in exasperation.

"What did you just say, Ash Ketchum?" the redhead glared at him, eyes flaming.

Ash put his hands out in front of himself defensively, and a sweatdrop formed on the back of his head, "Nothing…nothing at all."

The red haired girl fisted her hands on her hips and muttered under her breath, "Sometimes, Ash Ketchum, I just want to-"

Tracey grimaced and sweatdropped. He waved his hands in front of his face, trying to break up the fight, "C'mon guys! There's no reason to fight. Look, the storm's already lightening up. It should be gone by morning, then we can head out to Pummelo Island so Ash can battle for the Winner's Trophy."

"You mean win the trophy," Ash boasted with a giant grin on his face.

"There he goes again with that cocky attitude of his," Misty sighed, dropping her head in exasperation.

Suddenly, a very thickly accented voice called out to them, "Well, well, well. Look wha' the Persian hacked up. Been a long time, nerd."

Ash's dark eyes snapped up to meet a pair of bright blue ones, "Damian," he growled, "What are you doing here?"

The cobalt haired boy stood and laced his fingers behind his head arrogantly, "Not tha' it's any business of yours, bu' I'm 'ere ta enter the Orange League an' win tha' trophy tha' you _think_ you're goin' ta get," he grinned, tilting his head to the side, "So, I'm curious, you still go' tha' wimpy 'lil Charm'nder with you?"

Ash gritted his teeth. He could feel Charizard's poke ball pulsing against his side, "Wimpy?! I'll have you know that Char-" the ten year old boy caught himself. He smirked. This was the perfect opportunity to get back at Damian for how badly he'd treated Charmander so long ago, "No, I don't have Charmander anymore," he stated simply, "I've got an even stronger fire Pokemon now." He made sure to choose his words carefully. Charizard's poke ball pulsed again.

' _Easy Charizard, we'll get him back. I promise.'_

Damian laughed, "I knew tha' 'lil lizard was a useless Pokemon, 's a good thing I go' rid of it when I did."

Ash grinned, "Even with Charmander, I could beat you in a battle with my eyes shut. You're still just a second rate trainer and you know it," he needed to get a rise out of Damian for his plan to work. And he did.

The blunet growled and glared daggers at Ash, "Wha'd you say, Shrimp? Wanna put your money where your mouth is? Let's battle, then. Sunrise, on the beach. Five on five elemental battle. Winner gets all the loser's money an' badges," there was a conceited edge to his voice, "I'll even be a nice guy an' let you decide wha' elements. Deal?"

Ash didn't hesitate, "You're on."

* * *

"Ash, are you _crazy_? How could you bet all of your badges like that?" Misty was dumbfounded. "Are you even listening to me?" _'Ash really_ has _lost his mind.'_

Ash lay on his back, oblivious to Misty's yelling. One hand pillowed the back of his head, while he held Charizard's pokeball in front of him with the other. Without a word, he stood up from the bed and trudged out of the room, Pikachu at his heels.

"Ash?" Misty and Tracey called, receiving no answer. Sighing, they both walked back into the room. Tracey dropped into the computer chair backwards, resting his arms across the back of it. Misty sat on her bed and fell back, sprawling her arms out.

"So, who was that guy, anyway?" Tracey asked.

Misty growled, disgust dripping in her voice, "His name is Damian. We met him a long time ago, just after Ash got his second badge in the Kanto region. He was Charizard's original trainer."

"Original trainer?"

"Uh huh. He abandoned it when it was just a Charmander, and left it to die. He told it that he'd come back for it and left it on a rock on the side of the road. After a little while, we were able to convince Charmander to come with us. Damian even admitted to abandoning Charmander to its face."

Tracey looked appalled, "That's terrible."

"I know. But, we were able to get Charmander away from him, and that's what really matters."

"But what's wrong with Ash?"

Misty looked at the closed door as her eyes clouded over in a memory, "Charmander was one of Ash's first Pokemon. He's always had a strong connection with it, even when it didn't listen to him. I guess seeing Damian again brought back his anger for the way the jerk had treated Charmander," she said.

"Unfortunately, I think that impulsive attitude of his could be getting him in a lot of trouble this time."

* * *

Ash sat on an outcropping overlooking the ocean. The sun had almost set, painting the water vivid lavenders and fuchsias, corals and lilacs. He made sure he was a few miles away from the center, out of view from any prying eyes. Pikachu sat next to him, staring up at its trainer with worried eyes.

"Pika Pi?"

Ash smiled down at his partner, "I'm okay, Pikachu," the mouse Pokemon didn't look convinced, "Really, I just needed to clear my head."

He stood and rotated his shoulder, rolling out the kinks, and pulled Charizard's pokeball off of his belt. He tossed it into the air, and the giant flying lizard appeared in a flash of white light. Charizard looked at Ash with eyes filled with confusion and anger. Not anger at Ash, he realized, but at Damian.

"I think we need to show Damian what an idiot he was to treat you like he did. What do you think?" Charizard let out a roar of approval, flames streaming out of its open jaws. Ash grinned at his friend, "I thought you'd agree."

Charizard's wings spread out wide as it prepared to take off into the skies. Ash quickly ran in front of it and splayed his arms out wide in an effort to stop him.

"Wait a minute. I know you wanna go get him, Charizard, but that's the wrong way to handle it," Charizard looked at its trainer skeptically, as if to say 'You're one to talk'. Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I know, I can be a bit of a hothead, but I think hurting his pride is going to be more painful to him that hurting him physically." Both Pikachu and Charizard looked at the ten year old boy like he'd grown a second head.

Ash crossed his arms, looking affronted, "Hey, I have good ideas sometimes, too!"

They spent the next few hours strategizing battle plans before calling it a night.

* * *

Ash was waiting on the beach just before sunrise when Damian arrived.

"So eager ta lose, aren' ya?" Ash crossed his arms and smirked.

"I'm not the one who's going to lose today, Damian."

"Alrigh'. Enough chit chat, how're we gonna do this?"

"Water, grass, ice, electric, and fire, in that order. Sound good to you?"

"Whateva, let's jus' ge' this over wit' then. I wanna get ta Pummelo Stadium before I turn inta an ol' geezer."

"So eager ta lose, aren' ya?" Ash mocked in a poor British accent.

Damian growled as his face turned red with anger, "Shut up and call yer first Pokemon already."

Ash smirked, "If you insist. Go, Squirtle!" The Tiny Turtle Pokemon appeared in a flash of light. Sensing the tension and its trainer's contempt for their opponent, it pulled out a pair of black sunglasses and put them on, growling at Damian.

"Azumarill, yer up!"

Ash quickly pulled out his Pokedex.

" _ **Azumarill, the Aqua Rabbit Pokémon. The evolved form of Marill. This Pokémon uses its large, highly developed ears to hear great distances, even underwater.**_ _ **"**_

"Whoa…"

"Impressed, are ya? Quit gawkin' and start battlin'!"

"Shut up, Damian! Squirtle, Bubblebeam!"

It was Damian's turn to smirk, "Ya call tha' a Bubblebeam? Pathetic. Show 'em wha' a _real_ Bubblebeam looks like, Azumarill."

Both Pokemon drew as much air into their lungs as possible and let out strong streams of bubbles. They met in the center of the battleground and all of them exploded on impact. As the dust cleared, neither looked like they had taken any damage.

Ash grinned cheekily at the disappointed look on Damian's face, "What's the matter? Scared?"

The blunet growled, "Not on yer life, nerd. Azumarill! Iron Tail!"

Ash's eyes narrowed in confusion, "Iron Tail? What kind of attack is that?"

Before either Ash or Squirtle could react, Azumarill's tail began glowing a bright white. It spun around sharply and slammed the ball of its tail into the turtle's side. Squirtle cried out in pain as it was flung into a sandbar a few feet away.

"Squirtle! Are you okay?" The Tiny Turtle Pokemon winced as it dug itself out of the sand.

"Squirt. Squirtle squirt!" it replied dazedly, rubbing the side of its head. Damian and Azumarill laughed.

"Wha' a wimp! Hurt by jus' one Iron Tail attack? If all of yer Pokemon are as weak as this one it's amazin' tha' _you_ managed ta win four badges! The Gym Leaders must've taken pity on ya or somethin'," he grinned maliciously, "Let's end this then, shall we? Azumarill, Iron Tail one more time!"

Azumarill jumped high into the air as it charged its tail again. To gain momentum and speed, it began somersaulting in mid-air.

"We're not going to fall for that again. Squirtle! Withdraw!"

"Squirt!" Just before the attack hit, Squirtle receded into its shell, which was glowing blue. The Iron Tail slammed into the shell with a thunderous crack, kicking up sand everywhere. When the impromptu sandstorm was over, the Water Rabbit Pokemon was standing atop Squirtle, its shell unblemished.

"Rapid Spin!" Ash's voice rang out. Squirtle began whirling around, still safe inside its shell. As it sped up, Azumarill lost its balance and was thrown off, landing in the water. It tried to stand, but fell backwards in its dizzy state.

"Azu…" it sat up and shook its head to dispel the dizziness. It staggered beck to the shoreline and glared at Squirtle.

Damian growled, "Hyper Beam!"

"Block it with Hydro Pump!"

A laser of golden light shot out from Azumarill's mouth, but it was cut off as Squirtle spouted water from inside the safety of its shell. Damian's Pokemon was pushed back by the force of it. It was hunched over and panting heavily, no doubt exhausted from its last attack.

"Now, Squirtle! Finish it with Skull Bash!" Squirtle popped out of its shell.

"Squirtle!" It was suddenly surrounded by a silver aura as it lowered its head. With a strong leap, the turtle launched itself at Azumarill and hit it straight in its stomach.

Azumarill flew about ten feet and fell onto its back.

It didn't get up.

"Azumarill can no longer battle," Tracey called, "Squirtle wins."

"Way to go, Squirtle! You were awesome!"

Squirtle pumped its fist in the air before turning around and giving Ash a victory sign. It ran to Ash and jumped into its trainer's open arms.

"I'm proud of you. Thank you."

"Squirtle. Squirt, squirt Squirtle." Squirtle beamed up at its trainer before hopping to the ground to stand next to him, giving the blunet the harshest glare it could muster.

Damian sent Ash a scowl as he recalled his Azumarill. His glare turned to the Pokeball in his hand, "Useless," was all he said.

Ash glowered back at him, angry at the way he was being disrespectful towards his Pokemon, "Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

"Exeggcute! Get out here!" he didn't wait for a signal to begin, "Barrage!"

"Bulbasaur! Counter it with Razor Leaf, quick!" The two attacks collided and cancelled each other out with another giant explosion, "Blow the smoke away! Whirlwind!"

Bulbusaur took a deep breath and let out a whoosh of air. Once the mist cleared, it was revealed that Exeggcute had an orange barrier surrounding it.

"Razor Leaf again!"

Damian was smirking again. Leaves flew out of the bulb on Bulbasaur's back and shot towards the Egg Pokemon, but bounced off just before they could make contact.

"What?"

"Confused, runt? Ever heard of the move Reflect?"

Ash gritted his teeth, "Take Down!"

"Reflect."

The Seed Pokemon raced towards Exeggcute, but was knocked back by the barrier.

"Bulba…" it growled, digging its feet into the sand to try and regain some of its balance.

"Cute cute, Exeggcute!" the other Pokemon sniggered.

"Haha! You are so pitiful. I tell ya that my Exeggcute is usin' Reflect, and ya still try ta use a physical attack? How stupid are you!" Damian's smirk widened, "Exeggcute, use Psywave!"

Exeggcute's eyes began glowing a neon green, and a circle of white energy surrounded it. As the ring spun faster, it grew brighter and levitated above the Egg Pokemon's head before shooting out across the battlefield.

"Dodge it, Bulbasaur!" The dinosaur-like Pokemon barely escaped a direct hit from the attack, but it still caught the backlash from the force of it hitting the sand. Bulbasaur fell to the ground in a heap. It struggled to its feet.

"Bulb…bulba…saur…" It shook its head harshly, trying to get the sand out of its eyes.

"C'mon, Bulbasaur! I know you can do it! Try a Solar Beam!"

As soon as it cleared all the sand from its vision, it began pulling sunlight into the bulb on its back as quickly as possible.

"Oh no ya don't! Exeggcute! Psywave again!" While Bulbasaur was so focused on gathering energy for its attack, it had no way to dodge the second Psywave, and it blasted the Seed Pokemon off of its feet with a large bang.

When the dust cleared, the bulb on Bulbusaur's back was no longer glowing…and Bulbusaur was knocked out.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle, Exeggcute wins…sorry, Ash."

Ash ran out onto the field and knelt before his injured Pokemon.

"No! Bulbasaur, are you okay?"

Bulbasaur winced and slowly opened its eyes, "Bulba…" Ash let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank goodness," He picked his Pokemon up and walked back to his side of the field. He set Bulbasaur down next to Squirtle, who rubbed its back in a comforting gesture.

"Squirt."

"Bulba bulb…" the look on Bulbasaur's face said everything. Ash crouched down next to it and patted its head.

"It's not your fault. I'm the one who was careless. I shouldn't have been so reckless. I'm sorry."

Bulbasaur shook its head and jokingly slapped Ash upside the head with one of its vines. The young trainer couldn't help but chuckle, "Okay, you're right. I won't blame myself if you don't blame yourself."

"Bulba," it grinned. Ash scratched behind the Seed Pokemon's ear one more time before standing up and facing Damian, who had already recalled his Pokemon. The boy with the obsidian hair unclipped a new Pokeball from his belt and tossed it into the air.

"Go, Lapras!" In a flash of light a giant creature splashed in the water. The Pokémon let out a high-pitched squeal as it waited for its trainer to make a command.

Damian let out an aggravated huff as he called forth his own Pokémon, "Cloyster, get out here!" The Bivalve Pokémon had its own sinister grin. It landed on the sand with a thump, it's shell open slightly.

Ash called out the first attack, "Lapras, start off with an Ice Beam!" The baby Pokémon affirmed with a nod and opened its giant maw. What looked like a ray of diamonds shot out of its mouth.

"Cloyster, Withdraw!" the oyster Pokémon shut its shell with a snap. Lapras' attack bounced off of Cloyster shell, and created a beautiful ice sculpture in the sand next to it. Cloyster opened its shell a tiny crack, "Cloy, cloy, cloy," it chuckled darkly, matching the laugh of its trainer.

"Wha' kinda attack was tha'?" Damian sniggered, "Cloyster, use Spike Canon." the Bivalve Pokémon's shell closed again and turned a bright white. Suddenly, a barrage of needles exploded from its shell.

Ash let out a cry of panic, "Lapras, get out of the way quick! Dive underwater." Lapras quickly followed its trainer's instructions, and disappeared under the waves. The spikes were ineffective as they landed on the water.

Lapras resurfaced a few moments later, "Great job! Now, try another Ice Beam!" Lapras opened its mouth one more time and sent out a bright white light. This time it was fast enough to stop Cloyster from closing its shell completely.

"Cloy?" It struggled to close it's shell, but it was in vain. Damian growled in frustration.

Ash cheered, "Awesome! Now, aim a Water Gun into Cloyster's shell!"

"No' so fast," Damian smirked, "Cloyster, Teleport." Suddenly, Cloyster's body began glowing bright white and it disappeared just before the Water Gun could make contact. Only the block of ice remained, shattered on the ground. Seconds later, the Bivalve Pokemon reappeared, floating in the water behind Lapras.

"What?! How does your Cloyster know Teleport?"

Damian grinned evilly, "My Pokemon know a lot of tricks," his face hardened and his voice grew dark, "Cloyster! Hyper Beam!"

"No!"

The spike above Cloyster's pearl-like head began glowing orange. A ball of energy began growing from the point atop its shell before a beam erupted from it, hitting Lapras in the back of the head. The Transport Pokemon's long neck fell forward, and it's head hit the water with a splash.

"Lapras is unable to battle, Cloyster wins." Tracey sighed.

Ash called Lapras back to its Pokeball, "You did great, thank you. Now take a nice long rest," the raven haired boy turned his head to the side, and with a nod, Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder.

Damian pointed and guffawed, " _Another_ unevolved Pokemon? Yer a fool if ya think ya can beat me with weaklins like tha'. Pokemon are only worth battlin' with if they're evolved," the blunet tossed a Pokeball carelessly into the air. It popped open, revealing a metallic Pokemon with three eyes staring at them, "This lil' beaut just evolved a couple of days ago. It'll take down yer Pikachu with no problem."

Ash and his Pokemon all growled at Damian, "A Pokemon's strength isn't always based on it's evolution, ya know. Or did you forget that my Squirtle beat your Azumarill?" Ash hissed angrily.

"Squirt, Squirtle!" the Tiny Turtle Pokemon nodded and pretended to flex its muscles.

"And what about you? No matter how much I hate to admit it, your Exeggcute was really strong."

"Pff, the only reason I still got tha' Exeggcute is 'cause I haven' been able to ge' my hands on a Leaf Stone yet. Soon as I do, I'm gonna evolve it inta an Exeggutor immediately. And yer Squirtle beating my Azumarill was a lucky break for you. Tha' Azumarill was weak."

Ash's fists were clenched at his sides. As if sensing its trainer's anger, Charizard's Pokeball began vibrating on his belt.

' _Just a little bit longer, Charizard. You'll get your chance.'_

"Pi _ka_!"

"You haven't changed at all, Damian. You still think Pokemon are just tools used for battling. You're the pathetic one. Well, I'm gonna show you how a Pokemon's bond with its trainer brings out its real power."

"Oh, blah, blah, blah. Spare me the sentimental rubbish. Jus' one more win an' I get all of yer money an' yer badges!"

Ash gritted his teeth, "Alright, you asked for it! Pikachu, Agility!"

"Thunder Wave, Magneton!" A thin strand of crackling blue electricity shot out from the Magnet Pokemon's body and raced towards Pikachu.

"Too slow, Damian!" Ash grinned. Pikachu's speed was so great that it looked like it was actually using a Double Team attack. Each jolt of energy missed its intended target by about ten seconds, hitting illusionary copies of the electric Mouse Pokemon, "Pikachu, switch into a Quick Attack!" Pikachu's speed doubled and a white trail of light followed it as it rushed towards its opponent.

The small, yellow Pokemon made a direct hit, knocking Magneton into the sand with a thud.

"Wha' the…get up, ya lazy piece of scrap metal, and use yer SonicBoom!"

"Pikachu, Agility again!" The lightening mouse easily dodged that attack as well, circling the evolved Pokemon so fast that it started to make it dizzy.

"Magneton! Shake it off and use Thunderbolt!"

With a speed faster than either Ash or Pikachu anticipated, a bolt of lightening collided with the electric mouse, causing it to cry out in shock. A sharp, tingling sensation traveled throughout its body. With a quick shake, however, Pikachu snapped out of the attack, glaring at Magneton with a smirk on its face. Damian looked dumbfounded.

"Wha'? Tha's impossible! How can tha' 'lil pipsqueak take on an attack like tha' and still be standin'?"

Ash grinned, "It's really simple, Damian. My Pikachu is stronger than your Magneton."

The blunet's jaw dropped, "No way! How? My Magneton is an evolved Pokemon!"

"I told you, evolution isn't the only thing to take into account when raising Pokemon. Pikachu and I have been together a lot longer, and we've trained a lot harder. We have a connection that you couldn't ever have with your Pokemon. Now, it's time to finish it. Pikachu, let's show them a _real_ electric attack. Thunder!"

Pikachu nodded once, " _Pi_ ," Energy began crackling around its body, " _Ka_ ," Its body began glowing a bright golden color, " _CHUUUUU!_ "

A giant burst of white hot electricity shot from Pikachu's body, aimed directly at Magneton. The Magnet Pokemon was engulfed in the electric attack, paralyzing it immediately. It only lasted a few moments, but that was more than enough. As the light faded, Magneton dropped to the ground with swirls replacing it pupils.

"Magneton is out of the match. The winner is Pikachu."

"Pi Pikachu." It casually sauntered back over to Ash and leapt onto his shoulder with ease.

"Both trainers are tied at two wins a piece and down to their last Pokemon. The fire-types." Tracey called out.

Damian was giving Ash the most hateful glare imaginable, but Ash only smirked in response. They both unclipped their final Pokeballs from their belts and held them at the ready. The ball in the red-capped trainer's hand was pulsing and vibrating to the point where it nearly jumped out of his grasp.

"Looks like yer Pokemon doesn' wanna fight me," Damian taunted, "Is it scared? It should be. Go, Flareon!"

Ash snarled, "Not even close! My Pokemon has been waiting a long time to see you again, Damian. Say hello to an old friend! Go!" He tossed the Pokeball into the air.

The Pokeball burst open and a giant, orange, dragon-like Pokemon erupted from the light with a mighty roar.

Damian took a step back in shock, "Tha'- tha's not…"

The black-haired boy smirked, "Oh, yes it is. Say hello to Charmander…well…its evolved form, Charizard."

"That lil' Charm'nder was a weaklin'. Not even worth the effort ta train! There's no way tha' it coulda evolved! Tha's not the same one!"

Ash arched a brow, "Oh, really? Charizard seems to know you pretty well."

The glare that Charizard fixed Damian with was filled with pure hatred. A hatred that could only be built up after years of abuse. The blunet gulped audibly as a chill ran down his spine. He took a shaky step back as the giant lizard stared him down. Without warning, Charizard threw its head back and let out a deafening screech, a long stream of flames bursting from its open maw.

Ash just stood back with his arms crossed over his chest and an even wider smirk on his face, "Have you finally realized that you can't win? Want to give up now and save yourself the embarrassment?"

Damian stopped shivering and scowled at Ash.

"There ain't no way I'm gonna lose to a pipsqueak like you. If tha' _is_ the same Charm'nder, then it can't be all tha' powerful, even in its evolved state. Yer so goin' down. Flareon, use Quick Attack." With a speed almost rivaling Pikachu's, the little fire Pokemon took off like a bullet, heading right towards Charizard.

Charizard stood, unfazed, as the Flame Pokemon drew closer with each passing second. Just before Flareon was about to attack-

"Fly."

Charizard was immediately up in the air and Flareon was stuck headfirst in a sand dune beneath it. The smaller Pokemon wiggled itself free from its sandy prison and shook its head. The giant lizard gave the draconic equivalent of a chuckle as it hovered above Flareon, flapping its wings lazily, arms crossed just like its trainer. Damian growled.

"Stupid, overgrown lizard," he muttered, "Flareon, Fire Blast!"

"Damian, I'm about to give you a lesson in humility. Charizard, dodge it and use Flamethrower." Charizard easily maneuvered around the attack in a barrel roll as a stream of fire erupted from its mouth. The tiny Flame Pokemon was engulfed in the blaze. Once the fire and smoke cleared, all that was visible was a lump of black fur. Flareon shook the soot from its coat, though parts were still singed and frayed from the heat. The smaller Pokemon coughed out a few puffs of smoke.

Charizard landed in the sand with a thud just a few feet away from Flareon, baring its fangs, as white steam poured out of its nostrils.

"Charizard, Seismic Toss!"

"Quick Attack, Flareon!"

With one flap of its mighty wings, the giant lizard was sailing towards its opponent, only to have it slip through its claws at the last second.

"Smog!"

"Ember!"

The two attacks collided in midair. The poison attack was engulfed in flames, causing a massive explosion in the middle of the field.

"Charizard, use your wings to blow the smoke away!"

When the dust cleared, the two fire Pokemon were staring each other down. Flareon seemed to have taken more damage, panting heavily as it stood on shaky legs. Parts of its coat were still matted and charred from the Flamethrower attack earlier.

Charizard, however, was not really injured that much at all. It wasn't breathing heavily, and there was only a slight sheen of sweat covering its body.

"Let's finish this thing! Fire Spin!"

"You too, Charizard!"

Both Pokemon released a fiery inferno from their maws. The attacks crashed into each other in the center of the field, creating a giant, flaming tornado. The high temperature was almost unbearable, but neither trainer so much as flinched.

"Push harder, you mangy, orange furball!" Damian screamed.

Ash's voice was calmer, but just as fierce, "Come on, Charizard! Let's turn up the heat! Full power!"

Charizard's jaws opened a little wider, and the stream of flames grew a little stronger and hotter. It pushed the cyclone of fire closer to Flareon inch by inch. Soon enough, the smaller Pokemon was once again surrounded by flames, unable to escape.

"No bloody way!" Damian gaped as the flames disappeared, showing Flareon laying on its side, eyes closed.

Flareon was knocked out.

"Flareon can no longer battle, Charizard wins. Ash is the victor."

Ash casually strolled up to the lizard Pokemon and placed his hands on his hips, smiling proudly, "Great job, Charizard. I knew you could do it." Charizard roared in agreement.

"No…no…no…" Damian mumbled as he crouched down, clutching his head in his hands, "This ain't possible. My Pokemon are stronger…they're better…how could I lose ta a runt like him…how?"

Ash sighed and walked over to the blunet, "You just don't get it, do you, Damian? A Pokemon's power is only as strong as the connection it has with its trainer. _You_ have no respect for your Pokemon. Without that bond, your Pokemon will never reach their full potential."

Misty whispered to Tracey, "Wow, Ash actually sounds like he knows what he's talking about."

Tracey smiled, "When it comes to the relationship between Pokemon and trainer, I think Ash is the leading authority on it."

"Listen, I'm not going to take your money or your badges. I didn't challenge you for that. I hate you for what you did to Charmander, and I wanted Charizard to get a chance to give back a little bit of the pain you caused it. I also did it so I could show you that Pokemon aren't just tools for fighting. I won this battle because I worked _with_ my Pokemon, as a _team_ ," Damian just sat there, unresponsive. Ash reached a hand out to help him up, "Why don't you give it a try?"

 _Slap!_

Damian smacked Ash's hand away and sprang to his feet, glaring daggers at him, "Shut up already with that mushy nonsense. Yer givin' me a headache!"

But, Damian-"

"I said, _shut up_!" Damian shoved Ash away, causing him to stagger backwards a bit, "Stay the 'ell away from me! You don't know anythin' abou' me! Yer wrong! Pokemon are only good fer battlin', an' losers ain't worthy of bein' on my team."

He walked over to the still injured Flareon and pulled three Pokeballs from his belt. Magneton and Azumarill were released from their balls. The accented boy dropped the Pokeballs in the sand…

 _CRACK!_

 _CRACK!_

 _CRACK!_

Damian stomped down hard, smashing them to pieces. Everyone gasped.

"I don' wan' you pitiful Pokemon anywhere near me! Beat it! Scram! Get lost! I neva wanna see ya again! Ya 'ere me?" his accent grew thicker with each word.

"Damian! What's _wrong_ with you?"

The boy with the cockney accent stalked towards the black-haired boy, eyes in a fiery rage, a snarl curling his lips. Damian's fist suddenly collided with Ash's face, knocking him to the ground.

"Ash!"

"Pika Pi!"

Charizard's vision turned red. With an enraged roar, it flew towards Damian. A white glow surrounded it, and the fire lizard hit the boy in the gut with a powerful Skull Bash Attack. Damian cried out in agony as he felt some of his ribs crack from the force of the blow. He landed in the dirt about twenty feet away, moaning in pain.

Charizard just snorted and gave him a "never-mess-with-my-trainer-again" look.

Ash sat up with a dazed look on his face, absently rubbing his sore cheek. Looking back and forth between Charizard and Damian, it took him a moment to register what had actually happened. Charizard…had attacked Damian…to exact revenge…on his behalf…? He blinked a few times to let those thoughts sink in. He stared at the dragon-like Pokemon for a moment, who tilted its head as if to say, _'What?'_

"Whoa…"

"What in the world is going on here?" a new voice yelled from behind one of the sand dunes.

"Nurse Joy!"

"I heard a giant explosion and came to see- oh my!" The pink haired woman gasped in shock and covered her mouth with both hands. Her eyes darted from Ash, who was sitting on the ground, tending to the bruise forming on his cheek, to Charizard holding a protective stance in front of its trainer as it glared at Damian, to Damian, laying on the ground as he moaned in pain. "What happened?"

Misty walked over to Nurse Joy and explained the situation, while Tracey checked to make sure that Ash had no other significant injuries.

When the redhead was finished, Nurse Joy sighed, "Well, let's get you all back to the Center and go from there. Damian seems to be in pretty bad shape, he needs medical attention." The blunet in question had passed out. No matter how harsh it sounded, the three friends couldn't say they weren't thankful for the silence, however short it would be.

* * *

The red light above the Emergency door turned off with a _ping_ and the doors slid open, revealing Nurse Joy, along with a burly blond man in a white doctor's lab coat.

"So, Damian is going to make a full recovery, though he will be sore for a few weeks. Charizard really did a number on his ribs," the older man sighed, though he didn't sound very upset about it. After hearing how the blunet got injured, his lack of sympathy was understandable.

No one could respond, still too shocked with the events that had occurred just a few hours earlier. The group looked over at the three now trainer-less Pokemon, now fully healed, as they stared through the glass window leading outside.

"What are we going to do about them?" Misty asked.

Ash huffed angrily, "Damian abandoned them…just like Charmander…we can't just leave them!" Flareon, Magneton, and Azumarill jumped and stared at Ash in surprise.

Misty looked like she was ready to cry, "Those poor things," she sat down on a nearby bench and clenched her eyes shut, fisting her hands in her lap. Salty droplets of water began falling onto her shorts. "How can Damian be so cruel and heartless?" She felt a tap on her leg and looked up to find Azumarill standing next to her with a hopeful smile.

The other two Pokemon stood a few feet behind, looking at the group unsurely, but intrigued.

"I think the Pokemon are starting to understand that, Misty," Tracey said. He walked over to Flareon and crouched down, slowly reaching out his hand. The Flame Pokemon tentatively inched closer and touched its nose to the Pokemon Watcher's palm. Tracey gently scratched under its chin, eliciting a purr from the orange ball of fluffy fur. Flareon smiled and leaned in closer, nuzzling against the older boy's hand.

Misty, taking her cue from Tracey, gently patted Azumarill on the head. The Aqua Rabbit Pokemon smiled wider and hopped gleefully in place. The redhead giggled.

With a soft smile, Ash walked over to the only Pokemon left, and ran his hand along Magneton's side carefully, well aware from first-hand experience how temperamental electric Pokemon could be. The Magnet Pokemon closed its eyes and let out a contented humming sound.

"So…what now?"

The three friends looked at each other, waiting for someone to say _something_.

"Why don't you take them with _you_?" Nurse Joy suggested. Without hesitation, both Tracey and Misty pulled empty Pokeballs out of their packs and caught Flareon and Azumarill, respectively. Ash glanced at the yellow mouse on his shoulder before looking at Magneton, who seemed to be staring at him expectantly.

"Um…" Ash stood there, awkwardly shifting his weight from foot to foot. He already had Pikachu. He didn't need another electric Pokemon.

The black-haired boy felt a beefy hand fall on his shoulder, "You know," said the doctor from before, "I'd love to have this Magneton, if you don't mind. It looks strong, and I need a powerful electric Pokemon to help me keep my medical equipment in working condition. And this guy seems perfect for the job."

Magneton began buzzing excitedly and spun around at almost dizzying speeds, making Ash and the doctor laugh.

"I think that's a yes," Ash chuckled. As the blond man and his new Pokemon followed Nurse Joy back to the Med Bay to check on Damian, Ash stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and looked fondly at his friends, who were gushing to each other about how wonderful their new Pokemon were. The young trainer felt Pikachu nuzzle its soft cheek against his own and smiled. Without a word, he slipped out the front door unnoticed.

* * *

Once again, Ash sat near the cliff's edge, looking out towards the eastern islands of the Orange Archipelago where, he assumed, his next battle was waiting for him.

"What a day…" he murmured, interlocking his fingers and stretching his arms above his head.

"Pi ka," the electric mouse agreed from its spot in Ash's lap.

Without warning, one of the Pokeballs on his belt started to shake, and Charizard was suddenly standing next to them. Ash looked up at his fire Pokemon in shock for a moment before grinning smugly.

"We sure showed Damian, didn't we?"

Both Pokemon nodded silently.

"You were amazing today, Charizard. I'm very proud of you." Charizard grunted happily at the praise, "And thanks…for sticking up for me, I mean."

The lizard Pokemon dropped onto its rump and stared down at Ash in surprise. What else did Ash expect him to do? Ignore it? His trainer was being threatened, and that was something he would _not_ tolerate.

Ash laughed at the confused look on Charizard's face, "I guess, after all of the trouble we've been through, I'm still a bit shocked that you're finally on my side again. It's been a long time, and I'm glad you're back," he let out a relieved sigh, "With you at my side, we're gonna be unstoppable!" Ash's grin was so wide that it nearly split his face in two. Pikachu and Charizard beamed back at him.

The black-haired boy leaned back on his hands and looked up at the clear blue skies.

"Next up, Pummelo Stadium and the Winner's Trophy!"

* * *

Well, I hope you enjoyed chapter one. I was a bit concerned about writing Damian's accent, but I think it turned out well. Do you think so?

I don't know how often I'm going to post these, just whenever inspiration hits, I guess. So keep your eyes peeled. See ya later, Feraligatr!

P.S. The whole situation with the battle scenes:

Iron Tail Attack- that move wasn't introduced until season three, so Ash didn't know about it yet. However, I decided that since Tracey's Marill made an early appearance in the series, its evolved form could, too.

Smog and Teleport: Both Flareon and Cloyster, respectively, can learn these moves in the first generation from TMs.

Azumarill and Magneton: I didn't plan on these Pokemon to be in Damian's roster as I wrote this, but I didn't have much of a choice, given that I could only use Pokemon from the first 151 (except Azumarill…see notice above). It was pure coincidence that two of Damian's Pokemon were also used by Jackson in the Silver Conference at the end of the Johto arc.

P.P.S. If you have any problems with which Pokemon were victorious in their battles, blame my friend. I love both Squirtle and Bulbusaur, so I asked him to decide which one should lose their battle…apparently he has a thing for Squirtle's sunglasses.


End file.
